HEALTH
FIRST, ALTERNATIVE
TREATMENTS
Tip #1: If it sounds too good to be true,
it probably is!
With alternative treatments, the first rule of thumb
is, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
So, beware of all the “miracle cures,” “miracle potions,” “breakthrough cures,” “biggest discoveries,”
and any treatment that “cures all ____s.” (Fill in the
blanks: cancers, infections, etc.) Oh, yes, and let’s
not forget about all those “one minute cures” out
there! Sadly, these quotes are taken from actual
websites that are hawking actual “cures.” Remember, no one treatment can cure ALL of anything.
The four treatments I feature in my book, HONEST
MEDICINE: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases, are all promising treatments. But not one of them works for
everyone. For instance, one of the treatments, the
Ketogenic Diet—a high fat, low carbohydrate, low
protein diet for childhood epilepsy—has helped
thousands, maybe millions of children since its
inception in the 1920s at prestigious institutions
such as Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic. In
small studies since the 1920s, it has been found
to help 60-70% of children who try it. But clearly,
it does not help everyone. Yet, for those patients
whose seizures are stopped or lessened with this
diet, it is a “miracle.” But it is not a “miracle cure,”
since it does NOT work for everyone.
The same is true of the other three effective,
time-tested, but not “miracle” treatments featured
in my book: Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for autoimmune diseases; intravenous alpha lipoic acid for
end-stage liver disease; and Silverlon for non-heal-
Pharmaceutical companies
are not likely to want to put
money into studying natural
treatments, or those that
are too inexpensive.
15 | NEW CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEW
Ketogenic Diet—a high
fat, low carbohydrate,
low protein diet for
childhood epilepsy—has
helped thousands, maybe
millions of children since
its inception in the 1920s
at prestigious institutions
such as Johns Hopkins and
the Mayo Clinic
ing wounds. Like the Ketogenic Diet, these treatments help many thousands of patients who have
used them, and my book contains contributions
by several people who have been helped by these
treatments. But still, they do NOT help everyone.
Tip #2: Avoid Treatments with Obvious
Financial Ties.
Second, it is important to realize that in the US,
money is closely tied to healthcare, both conventional and alternative. So, if you want to find
a treatment that is worth trying, keep away from
those with questionable financial ties. Be wary of
a treatment if the only positive information you
find has been provided by the doctors who are
proponents of the treatment, or by people (doctors or laypeople) who profit from it. These are often thinly veiled testimonials, and it’s easy to spot
them. You’ll be able to know which are obvious
testimonials because they are too enthusiastic, too
“salesy.” Instead, look for solid information provided by third parties— people who have NO “skin in
the game.”
Tip #3: Look for Small Studies on the
Treatment You’re Considering.
Third, if the treatment is reputable, there may well
be small studies available on the government-run
PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/).
Please note that most so-called “alternative”